San Jose State's Football Future Hangs in the Balance as Program Undergoes Overhaul
The San Jose State football program is starting from scratch after a disappointing 3-9 season that ended with a three-way tie for ninth place in the Mountain West. The Spartans, who were preseason favorites to finish third, will have to regroup and rebuild for another shot at making a deep run in 2026.
Coach Ken Niumatalolo's staff is undergoing an overhaul, with several key figures let go, including longtime defensive coordinator Derrick Odum and special teams coordinator Joe Palcic. Offense line coach John Estes and cornerbacks coach Greg Burns were also released after the season-ending loss to Fresno State.
"We're not happy about how we finished," Niumatalolo said. "It's just my job to make sure I get this right and we feel good about some of the guys we are talking to."
The Spartans will have a new quarterback to replace senior Walker Eget, who graduated after a single season with the team. Tama Amisone and Robert McDaniel, both true freshmen, are in the mix for the starting job, along with Daniel Rolovich, the son of Cal interim head coach Nick Rolovich.
Defensively, the Spartans will lose two-time all-conference linebacker Jordan Pollard, who left early to enter the transfer portal. The defense also struggled with scoring defense, allowing 32 points per game, and total passing defense, giving up 245.25 yards per game.
One bright spot for the team is Danny Scudero, a freshman receiver who had an incredible season, leading the FBS in receiving yards (1,291) and touchdowns (10). However, his future with the Spartans is uncertain, as several Power Four schools have expressed interest in recruiting him.
"We told him 'come here and that's you,'" Niumatalolo said. "The one good thing this year is at least we can tell him we were true to our word."
Scudero's departure would be a major blow to the Spartans, as they lack the resources to compete with Power Four schools in terms of recruiting budget.
"We're not even close to that," Niumatalolo said. "We'll try our best to get as much money to (recruit) as we can."
San Jose State also needs to find a new kicker, after missing 11 of its 23 field goal attempts last season. Coach Niumatalolo acknowledged his mistake in offering scholarships without revenue sharing, and vowed to do better this time around.
As the Spartans prepare for another year under coach Niumatalolo's leadership, they'll be facing a new-look Mountain West conference, with Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, San Diego State, and Utah State leaving for the Pac-12 next season. UTEP and Northern Illinois (football only) are joining the conference in 2026.
San Jose State's complete 2026 schedule has not been released yet, but it includes four non-conference games against Eastern Michigan, Cal Poly, Fresno State, and Stanford.
The San Jose State football program is starting from scratch after a disappointing 3-9 season that ended with a three-way tie for ninth place in the Mountain West. The Spartans, who were preseason favorites to finish third, will have to regroup and rebuild for another shot at making a deep run in 2026.
Coach Ken Niumatalolo's staff is undergoing an overhaul, with several key figures let go, including longtime defensive coordinator Derrick Odum and special teams coordinator Joe Palcic. Offense line coach John Estes and cornerbacks coach Greg Burns were also released after the season-ending loss to Fresno State.
"We're not happy about how we finished," Niumatalolo said. "It's just my job to make sure I get this right and we feel good about some of the guys we are talking to."
The Spartans will have a new quarterback to replace senior Walker Eget, who graduated after a single season with the team. Tama Amisone and Robert McDaniel, both true freshmen, are in the mix for the starting job, along with Daniel Rolovich, the son of Cal interim head coach Nick Rolovich.
Defensively, the Spartans will lose two-time all-conference linebacker Jordan Pollard, who left early to enter the transfer portal. The defense also struggled with scoring defense, allowing 32 points per game, and total passing defense, giving up 245.25 yards per game.
One bright spot for the team is Danny Scudero, a freshman receiver who had an incredible season, leading the FBS in receiving yards (1,291) and touchdowns (10). However, his future with the Spartans is uncertain, as several Power Four schools have expressed interest in recruiting him.
"We told him 'come here and that's you,'" Niumatalolo said. "The one good thing this year is at least we can tell him we were true to our word."
Scudero's departure would be a major blow to the Spartans, as they lack the resources to compete with Power Four schools in terms of recruiting budget.
"We're not even close to that," Niumatalolo said. "We'll try our best to get as much money to (recruit) as we can."
San Jose State also needs to find a new kicker, after missing 11 of its 23 field goal attempts last season. Coach Niumatalolo acknowledged his mistake in offering scholarships without revenue sharing, and vowed to do better this time around.
As the Spartans prepare for another year under coach Niumatalolo's leadership, they'll be facing a new-look Mountain West conference, with Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, San Diego State, and Utah State leaving for the Pac-12 next season. UTEP and Northern Illinois (football only) are joining the conference in 2026.
San Jose State's complete 2026 schedule has not been released yet, but it includes four non-conference games against Eastern Michigan, Cal Poly, Fresno State, and Stanford.
. They're basically starting from scratch after that rough season last year 
. It's a big blow to lose Danny Scudero, though - he was like, super talented! 
I wonder if they'll be able to compete with the Power Four schools for recruits now... it seems like they're really struggling in that department 
.
. He's acknowledging that they can't match the recruiting budgets of those big-name schools, and he's trying to make do with what they have 
. I'm kinda rooting for them, even if things seem bleak right now 
. Maybe next year will be their year? 
got some major rebuildin' to do after that 3-9 season 
gotta hope Tama Amisone & Robert McDaniel can lead the team to victory 
they need all the recrutin' budget they can get! 
And what's up with the coaching staff, Coach Niumatalolo? Losing key guys like Odum and Palcic isn't exactly reassuring for the future. But hey, at least they got a bright spot in Scudero, that dude was on fire 
. Hopefully, they can find some decent recruits to match his level and maybe, just maybe, they'll make a deep run next season 
if they wanna compete with those Power Four schools 
, but at least Coach Niumatalolo can say they kept their word 
. And don't even get me started on the special teams 
... missin' 11 out of 23 FG attempts? That's just not gonna cut it 
. They need to get that part fixed ASAP 
!
hope coach Niumatalolo can get the program back on track 
. And you know why? Because they lost sight of their values, I guess 
. It's like, if you promise someone something, you gotta own up to it 
anyway back to san jose state football... i mean i'm no expert but isn't it weird how some college programs have so much money now? like i read somewhere that ucla's budget for football is over 100 million 
meanwhile my buddy's little league team can barely afford new cleats lol.
, like the little furball is thinking it's the real chef 
. anyway back to san jose state football... 1,291 receiving yards by danny scudero in one season? that's wild! but i wonder how they're gonna replace all those losses and get the recruiting budget up 
. Losing Danny Scudero would be HUGE 
and defense 
, 'cause they gotta step up their game if they wanna compete with the rest of the Mountain West 
.
... losing those schools is gonna make it way tougher for them. I hope they can find a way to adapt and grow 
. They gotta convince some of these talented players that SJSU is the place to be 
they're getting to start from scratch and rebuild their program which means new opportunities for young players like tama amisone and robert mcDaniel! 
plus, who knows, maybe they'll surprise us with an amazing season next year? 
Danny scudero's future is uncertain but we can't count out coach niumatalolo's optimism 
. And now they have to deal with the Mountain West conference changing next season...it's a lot of uncertainty 
hope coach Niumatalolo can get things right this time around 
he was their superstar receiver 
maybe Tama Amisone or Robert McDaniel will shine? 
gotta wonder how they're gonna keep Scudero happy with all this interest from bigger schools... maybe they should just offer him a ton of cash? 
.
. But hey, Coach Niumatalolo seems nice and all 
️... can someone explain it to me in simple terms? 
. The new coach, Ken Niumatalolo, needs to find a way to get this team back on track ASAP 
. Losing a top receiver like Danny Scudero would be a huge blow, but he's got some competition for the starting job with Tama Amisone and Robert McDaniel 
.
. I'm hoping they can turn things around next season, but it's looking like a long haul for this program 
. And let's not forget about Danny Scudero - he was absolutely on fire last season 
